The Cross-Tie Archives

Throughout the course of its four-plus decade history, Amtrak has drawn the scorn of detractors who saw the federally-subsidized passenger railroad is a drain on taxpayers. Now, millions of dollars in losses on the railroad’s food and beverage service have given more ammunition to opponents. Amtrak said it plans to eliminate losses on food and beverage service over the next five years. But, will that be enough to silence critics? Click here to read more. Metro-North Crash Brings Positive Train Control Back Into the Conversation The revelation the engineer at the controls of the Metro-North train that crashed in the

WASHINGTON — For the ninth consecutive year, total freight volume on U.S. railroads as measured in ton-miles has set an annual record, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported. Meanwhile, for the fifth consecutive year — and the 18th time in the past 20 years — intermodal freight on U.S. railroads has set an annual record, according to the AAR. Total freight volume for the first 51 weeks of 2006 reached 1.712 trillion ton-miles during the week ended December 23, breaking the 52-week record of 1.696 trillion set during 2005. This year’s total was 2.6 percent above the total for

Like any other year, 2006 saw its fair share of ups and downs for the railroad industry. Some stories were hard to list in a particular month. The controversy over the Duluth, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad’s federal loan is a good example, and could probably make a good argument for “Story of the Year.” Because of the difficulty, DM&E-related entries might not be found in every month, but its importance as a story in 2006 is not overlooked. While it is impossible to list every story that impacted the railroad world in 2006, here is a rundown of some of

N.J. Transit’s first multilevel train debuted Dec. 11 on the Northeast Corridor, culminating four years of planning and design — including extensive input from customers — to offer riders a new level of comfort and convenience.

WASHINGTON — Following the successful introduction of revenue management on many of its Northeast Corridor trains last year, Amtrak will expand the practice in the Northeast to Acela Express and Metroliner service, beginning with trains departing Feb. 6. The benefit of revenue management for passengers is that those with flexible travel times can take advantage of reduced fares on lower-demand trains. To take advantage of lower fares — up to 15 percent less than the current lowest fare — passengers are encouraged to purchase tickets early and travel during off-peak hours. Revenue management is the fare system begun by airlines

Had the events of Sept. 15, 1830, turned out a little differently, William Huskisson probably would be remembered for his political career, not for his dubious railroad connection. But as it turns out, Huskisson’s name is forever preserved in the annals of railroad’s history books, not for his career as a politician but for his taking a bad step — into the path of an on-coming train and becoming the world’s first ever railroad fatality. Born in 1770, Huskisson’s political resume included a stint in British Parliament. Huskisson served as the first commissioner of Woods and Forests from 1814 until

ATHENS, Ga. — For better or worse, 2005 began and ended with the railroad industry in the headlines. On Jan. 6, two Norfolk Southern trains collided in Graniteville, S.C. The National Transportation Board later ruled the crew of a Norfolk Southern train failed to return a main line switch to the normal position after the crew completed work at an industry track. Fast forward 12 months. In December, the subway drivers in New York City went on strike, an illegal strike at that. It was eventually resolved, with the union coming out of the deal with what it wanted. But